Americans anxiously anticipate their tax refunds this time of year. With an average refund of $3,120 from 2015, many people will put these funds to work beautifying and enhancing their homes for themselves and also to add value for future sale. Randal Weeks, designer and founder of Aidan Gray, suggests the following ideas for reinvesting your refund.
Don’t wait on the bathroom. One of the places you will get the biggest bang for your buck is the bathrooms. Weeks notes, “Updating a drop-in sink with new fixtures is a way to have a fresh look in one of your home’s most used rooms. In renovating your bathrooms, you can add value to your home by selecting timeless elements. One of the biggest issues buyers have when making offers on the home is the cost of redoing other people’s bad choices or trendy decisions. They factor those costs into the offer. Keep it timeless, keep it easy, and you increase the true value of the home.”
Draw the curtains on custom curtains. Another great way to spend that refund is by adding or updating window coverings. That’s not to say that custom curtains are the way to go. “Time and time again, I’ve specified and fretted over the perfect fabric, the perfect stitch, the perfect layout, etc. for custom window treatments for several oversized windows. I found that it can be an enormous waste of money. In hindsight, ready-made silk would have been a better choice. Stick to neutrals, you can always add banding, but they never go out of style. I tell all my clients to stick to classic colors in ready-made draperies. And the best part is, when you save money on the front side, you can buy two colors and change them out seasonally.”
Lighten up! Lighting is critical, and you cannot have too much of it in your home. Invest in unique lighting fixtures that can be conversations pieces. Lighting can set the mood of a room, not by the actual light bulb, but by the fixture as a whole. Consider design as well as function when choosing your decorative lighting. Just like one would invest in a fine piece of jewelry to flatter and flaunt, lighting can be considered architectural jewelry in that it makes a statement and shows personality.
About Aidan Gray
Founded in 2003, Aidan Gray has become a leader in the home furnishings industry, notably the segment of European-inspired interiors. Based in McKinney, Texas, Aidan Gray uses the best materials to manufacture furniture, occasional tables, table lamps, garden décor, candlesticks and case goods. This embodies the company's desire for products made by hand and with authentic materials such as solid wood, rustic metals, antique mirrors, old painted finishes and silk appointments. Visit the website at www.aidangrayhome.com.
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Contact:
Dana Cobb
TrizCom Inc.
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